Sorry for terrible formatting, on mobile.

Ok so here’s the deal. There are about a million options out there, and each of them has its ups and downs.

This is gonna get a little technical but let’s start by breaking things down into 2 categories: hard drive vs solid state, and offline vs online.

The most common solution here would be to get an external hard drive. They are generally designed to ‘plug and play’ directly into a computer and store whatever you put on them. They’re fairly cheap but they are mechanical so you have to handle them carefully and not move them when in use or you risk physical damage and data corruption. They usually come at two different speeds: 5400 or 7200 RPM (rotations per minute). The higher the number the faster data can be accessed.

Solid state is the newer, more expensive cousin of the hard drive. Whereas HDDs are mechanical, SSDs are digital. Without the moving parts, SSDs are more robust, and significantly faster. They’re also way more expensive.

Now on to where things get interesting. Most external storage is offline, but some newer options exist that can be connected to the internet and allow you remote access to your data.

The cheaper devices in this category are usually called something along the lines of a ‘personal cloud’, and they’re a 1 - 10 TB HDD with software that lets you access them over the internet.

Higher end devices are usually called a NAS which stands for Network Attached Storage. These are basically servers to allow you high capacity data storage, and can be made to store hard drives in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Ok, so where do you fit in to all of this? What you need really just depends on what you want to use it for. How much space do you need? How fast do you need to access it? Do you want remote access to your data, or shared access with family and friends?

The truth is most people are gonna be fine with a simple external hard drive like the one already linked in the comments. I usually recommend a western digital like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XeoYDb7V1HT0A

They’ve worked well for me. If you want something more interesting, look into WD’s personal cloud option:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CTK55W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dhoYDbH3X5XBF

Or if you get curious about the higher end stuff, you can always check out names like Synology, Asustor, and Qnap. I have an Asustor and love it.

Mobile devices like tablets usually don't have video inputs. There are portable DVD players with screens (usually small and very low quality ones - not really good for prolonged viewing) and there are Android tablets with built-in DVD players - but these are also cheap and nasty products, with very poor reliability and quality.

I would recommend to get a robust quality tablet designed for kids instead, like a Galaxy Tab Kids or the much more affordable Fire Tablet 7 Kids Edition.

You can then simply create personal copies of DVDs yourself that you copy onto the tablet's memory or microSD card (get a large one separately, these are not expensive) via USB. He can watch movies with an easy to use media player that remembers how much of a film he has already watched, like the free and open source VLC.

All you need is a PC or laptop with a DVD drive, the free program Handbrake and a little file that allows it to read DVDs:

https://www.howtogeek.com/102886/how-to-decrypt-dvds-with-hardbrake-so-you-can-rip-them/

I would recommend setting the output format to MP4 and the video encoding to h.264 (supported by most devices) with quality 20. Make sure to select the right audio track if there are several. Check the preview image to see whether or not the right aspect ratio has been picked. At the end of this process, a high quality duplicate of the DVD should be on your machine, ready to be copied onto any device of your choice.

Edit: Seems like the other user had pretty much the same idea while I was typing this...

> I mostly need the speeds for my production business to send files to my editor quickly.

Sysadmin here.

Sounds like you don't need wifi, but a network cable to your computer.

Seriously, with an apartment that big (205m^2) and walls in between, you're better off with more than one wifi device. You can buy a Unifi AC accesspoint for $82, which is a business-grade Access Point.

It's excellent quality, allows for neat, extra features like guest access, Power-over-Ethernet (meaning only one network cable goes to the AP itself, making it easy to hang on a wall or ceiling), but most importantly: it's made to cooperate with multiple units.

So, hang one up in one side of the house, connect it (via the included PoE injector) to the existing router (an AP doesn't include a router, so you need one for the "routing" part, but that can be a simple, cheap router, as long as it can handle gigabit), and hang one up on the other end of the place, and if you find the need for another, just get a third one (total $246 for 3 devices) and then the three will work together.

The experience is like an office that is too big for 1 wifi device, so an office will have multiple wifi devices that work together, letting your phone/laptop transparently jump ("roam") from one AP to another. Now, you can do that too!

You won't generally find an office that, when it turns out that one, normal router is not powerful enough, will just get one bigger router, with more black, pointy, plastic spikes. :P

tl;dr Ubiquiti Unifi (with their "disruptive pricing") is fucking awesome!

Cool! Hope you survived the flooding.

That is a cable modem so: Motorola 6121 or 6141 to replace the modem part

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B004XC6GJ0

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B00AJHDZSI/ref=zg_bs_284715_2

Ubee makes this, but I have never heard of them before. Recommend: Motorola. The quality goes in before the name goes on. Or was that Quasar?

Regardless: you need a router/wireless router too, and have about 70 bucks left.

IF you can afford an Apple Airport Extreme, and don't have game consoles, please get that. It's a great router and just works, and if the Ubee combo unit was good enough for you, the AAE will be great.

Failing that:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Dual-Band-Wireless-N-Router-RT-N56U/dp/B0049YQVHE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1370541191&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+rt-n56u

Asus RT56U is in your price range and works great.

If that does not work for you, check back....

I would advise against the Dell Inspiron 7567 unless you also dislike color saturation, contrast, and viewing angle stability. The performance specs may be adequate, but it's very expensive for how poor the quality of the display is:

• http://imgur.com/Sajajqc.jpg
  
• https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/5ozrqq/warning_the_new_inspiron_15_display_is_indeed/
  
  The Dell Inspiron 7559 you're looking at above has a decent screen for the price (IPS panel, 45% NTSC color gamut).
  
  But for the higher performance specs, how about these two?
  
  Clevo N850HK1
  
  
• https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/optimusVIII-15/
  
• i5-7300HQ or i7-7700HQ, I'd decide based on how much render time matters. Both are quad-cores.
  
• 8GB or 16GB RAM: Choose based on your video editing needs. Also you can always upgrade this yourself later, and it may even be cheaper to do so.
  
• GTX 1050 or GTX 1050 Ti: If gaming, the GTX 1050 Ti will be a nice bump up.
  
• Reviews on the same model from a different seller here: Link. Focus on the ones for the 15.6" version.
  
• The screen in this one I think is 72% NTSC color gamut. It is in the Eluktronics and I think this is pretty standard across Clevo models, but it could be a 45% NTSC color gamut IPS panel. Good contrast and viewing angles regardless, but the higher colorspace coverage will let you calibrate it to be more accurate for video editing.
  
  Acer VX5-591G
  
  
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-VX5-591G-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01N24EENE/
  
• 45% NTSC color gamut IPS panel. Still much better than the Inspiron 7567.
  
• Many reviews online are for the pre-prod model, which did not use an IPS panel, so you can ignore the screen quality aspects to those reviews. This model uses an IPS panel.
  
  EDIT: Are you in the UK or the US?
  
  EDIT2: USA recs:
  
  
  
  HP Pavilion 15t
  
  
• http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-power-pavilion-laptop--15t-x7p44av-1
  
• $649 at the moment! Default $849, and regularly goes down to $700-$750, which is still a good price.
  
• Note: Offered UHD display is PenTile (RG/BW) not-true-UHD. See /r/SuggestALaptop/ sidebar for more info. This isn't the laptop I would pick if you want UHD. If you want UHD, my recommendation will actually go for the Dell Inspiron 7567, 4K IPS model. Or, chose the 17.3" Pavilion, as its UHD is also the real deal.
  
• Review vs Inspiron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBtF6iRA6IQ
  
• The HP Omen 15t / 17t is very similar, the main differences being looks, pricing / discount timings, and offered options (including a GTX 1050 Ti).
  
  Lenovo Y520
  
  
• http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/legion-y-series/y520/#tab-customize ($50 off through this discount: Load this then go here)
  
• https://www.costco.com/Lenovo-LEGION-Y520-Gaming-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---4GB-NVIDIA-Graphics---1080p.product.100347159.html (Costco deal with 2TB+256GB)
  
  Clevo N855HJ (pick the IPS panel option)
  
  
• http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5855-clevo-n855hj.html
  
• https://lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np5855-clevo-n855hj/
  
• http://www.pro-star.com/index.php?r=product/detail&model=N855HJ
  
• http://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP5855.html
  
• Pick the IPS panel option since the stock display is similarly poor to the Inspiron. They only recently added this option, and it may not have made it to pre-config listings on Amazon/Newegg yet, which is why I didn't link those. If you're recommending this laptop to others, I would be sure to include this detail.
  
• Not sure if IPS panel is 72% NTSC or 45% NTSC.
  
  Clevo N850HK1
  
  
• http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6852-clevo-n850hk1.html
  
• https://lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np6852-clevo-n850hk1/
  
• http://www.pro-star.com/index.php?r=product/detail&model=N850HK1
  
• http://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP6852.html
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-N850HK1-Premium-Performance-Laptop/dp/B06X6BB9F7/
  
• Note: Offered UHD display in the Eluktronics version is PenTile (RG/BW) not-true-UHD. See /r/SuggestALaptop/ sidebar for more info. This isn't the laptop I would pick if you want UHD. If you want UHD, my recommendation will actually go for the Dell Inspiron 7567, 4K IPS model.
  
• The Eluktronics model costs more. The advantage with them is that they're very straightforward about which LCD you get. The N850HK1 is confirmed to use the LG LP156WF6-SPB1, a panel with 72% NTSC color gamut rather than 45% (more saturated colors on top of the good contrast and viewing angles of IPS). The others may very well use 72% NTSC as well, but I haven't been able to confirm.
  
  Acer Aspire VX 15
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-5652/dp/B01N11JKA3/ (GTX 1050, 256GB SSD)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-54VG/dp/B01MR82G0W/ (GTX 1050 Ti, 256GB SSD)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-75RM/dp/B01N12YZ7B/ (GTX 1050 Ti, 256GB SSD, i7-7700HQ may not be needed over the i5-7300HQ for gaming on this GPU in most cases, but it is an option)
  
• Includes SSD only, however there is a slot for a HDD. You will need to request a free mounting bracket to use it.
  
  EDIT3: Another USA rec. The above are 1050/Ti laptops, but you may not need that if not gaming.
  
  ASUS ZX53VW
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/i5-6300HQ-keyboard-Microsoft-signature-Anti-Glare/dp/B01LXCBXQO
  
• Large 512GB SSD, 72% NTSC color gamut display, GTX 960M, i5-6300HQ

Ok, so you have 2 audio out ways. The first is optical. This is much better, can do surround sound etc, but isn't exactly headphone friendly, so scratch that. You also have RCA out, which can easily go to a headphone, so here is what you will need.

First up, you need an adapter to convert RCA to a headphone. You might have one hanging around as some mp3 players, etc, comes with them. If not, Amazon has it for 1.46 with free shipping. You can also get them at bestbuy/walmart/etc, but they will likely cost at least $20. Once you have it, you can plug it into the red and white "audio out" ports on the bottom back panel. the closest 2 rca ports to the ethernet cable, and right next to the headphone port (to bad it is only audio in, for from PC's).

Ok, now you have a headphone jack, time to get headphones. You get a bit of choice, as now you just need wireless headphones. This is also where most the money will be. Personally, I would get something like this from amazon or this from ebay. This lets you use any bluetooth headphone with your TV, thus the headphones will work with your phone, etc, and be of more use. If you do go this way, you can get cheap headphones like this all the way up to very good ones. Whatever you want.

If you don't want to mess with bluetooth, or it is too much, you can just get this from ebay for cheap, or this one from amazon. They will both work, though won't be as useful, and likely won't sound as well as the bluetooth ones. Also, if you get the amazon one, it can actually directly connect to the rca output, so that is a plus :).



TLDR: If you want the cheapest way, just buy this. Though not the best, it should do exactly what you need.

>My questions are: is there a special kind of ethernet cable used for VoIP.

Nope - any CAT5e or CAT6 cable will do.

>is there an adapter that I could use to connect multiple ethernet cables?

Possibly. But the easiest (and most reliable) thing would be to install a switch somewhere along the line. A 5-port switch can be had from Office Depot for as little as $10... although I would prefer this TP-LINK gigabit switch from Amazon for $21.22. [NOTE: all switches should support speeds of 10Mbps and 100Mbps, also called "10/100". This should be fast enough for most people, and the $10 10/100 switch should work fine. However, a switch that supports the newer, faster 1000Mbps (gigabit) standard only costs a few dollars more, and offers 10x the speed. Essentially, if money's tight, get a 10/100. If you want something that's more futureproof, spend the extra $10 for a 10/100/1000 model.] Also, if your home internet is faster than 100Mbps, you'd obviously want to skip the 10/100 models and go straight for a 10/100/1000 switch.

Setting it up is super-easy: plug an Ethernet cable into your router and run it to wherever you want to put the switch (it will only need a power outlet). Plug the power adapter into the switch, then plug the cable (from the router) into any of the ports. Then, plug in a new cable into any of the remaining ports, and run it to your GF's PC. Done!

EDIT: If Wi-Fi isn't an option, another would be a powerline adapter, which uses your home's electrical system and only requires electrical outlets on both ends, and Ethernet cables from the router to adapter #1 and from adapter #2 to the PC.

Another option would be to take an old (or a cheap new) wi-fi router that supports client mode and use that. Basically, the old router acts as a "reverse wi-fi hotspot", in that takes your home's existing Wi-Fi signal and makes it available via its ports to Ethernet devices.

Wow. Thank you so much. What a fascinating and well-written answer (sincerely).

Is there any terminology that would distinguish the two kinds of 'surge protector'?

I would be interested in seeing a picture of the letter (that the telcos etc use to ground to earth) just to know what they look like.

I know very little about electrics and wiring, but would this be an example of the 'whole house' protector that you mentioned — which fits onto the breaker and routes a surge to earth?

https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-FS140-Whole-House-Protection/dp/B013WINMK6

Finally, as you obviously know so much about this, is there any type of surge protection you would recommend for private users? I have a great desktop and four monitors which I always worry about whenever there is lightning. I have one of those tiny retail surge protectors which you justifiably ridiculed, but would be prepared to invest in something that actually stood a chance of working.

EDIT:
You might also consider an HDMI switch. which will allow you to just click a button and switch between PC input and PS3 input. Most of these (Unless expensive) don't include any alternative audio option, just HDMI <-> HDMI

.....

EDIT 2:
If you JUST want to record the video on your PC, and don't want to display it live, any capture card will do, whether internal or external, and is just about the only way to go - very, very few video cards have bidirectional HDMI ports, so you likely only have output on your PC

.....

The linked item (The Easycap) is along the right lines, but not quite there. The PS3 will not allow dual video output in this manner. it only supports one output, and you can only switch between the two, not have both.

The better way is to stick with HDMI, but install a video capture card with HDMI passthrough in your computer. Plug PS3 HDMI into the capture card, and plug the cards output to your monitor. I know they can be expensive, but it's the proper way in this case. The one I linked is relatively nice, there are probably cheaper options with passthrough capability - I just don't feel like searching through results for the best bang/buck ratio.

This should also allow you to use the capture card's audio output (3.5mm on this card) to connect to your speakers for sound that's pulled from the HDMI - meaning you can forgo the component cable entirely.

Without passthrough it'd still be possible, but you'd basically have to stream the video to yourself- meaning there's likely to be some video lag compared to passthrough or direct connection. The one you linked would require this kind of setup, which is not ideal.

The motorola surfboard modem is fairly popular, I have one but it is a more expensive model than this.
Also, the asus RT-N66U router is fantastic and works like a dream for me.

I am sure with a little digging you can find them within your price range.

What do you mean by "better"? If you mean faster, then almost any SSD will be faster, and something like the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB is a solid choice. However, if you mean faster with the same capacity, I don't know if you're going to find a 1TB SSD for under £250, let alone £100. You can get a hybrid drive, like the Toshiba H200, which under certain circumstances will perform better than a non-hybrid HDD.

If you are willing to spend the money, then the Samsung 850 EVO 1TB is a good option in my experience. I have several of these running 24/7 and haven't had a problem yet.

I've been using this ($15) from Kensington since June 2012, pretty nice mouse. Comfortable, fairly large. Adjustable DPI (up to 2400) and two extra side buttons. Only buy it if you're right-handed.

There's also this ($12) cheap one from Cobra. Similar deal up to 2400 DPI. Haven't tried it.

If you want something nicer and similarly minimal, there's the G400 ($74) from Logitech. Goes up to 3600 DPI.

All of them have two side buttons and a middle button to scroll through four different DPI settings. Nice and sensitive. I know the Kensington and Logitech should be pretty comfortable unless you have tiny hands.

You can get a mouse similar to the G400, but toned down, only 1000 DPI, but a lot cheaper, here.

I think you may also want to look up the G500.

get a usb to ide/sata cable like this http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382998317&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+ide+sata+adapter
and then run file recovery on the hard drive with a file recovery program
Free version for windows: http://www.piriform.com/recuva
Good luck!

as live / latency free as possible is the better. I'm strongly looking at this ---> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DRWCOGA/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

​

This tech is something I'm completly green with. I just learned about HDCP lol. I mean what is the difference between a cloner box and an hdmi capture / pass through?

I'd recommend doing all of this by streaming over Twitch. That way she'll be able to watch your stream from any of her devices as they all have the Twitch app (and alternatives like Pocket Plays). This will make things much easier for what you want to accomplish.

The software you'd use to stream all of this from an external capture card would be OBS, Open Source Broadcaster (free).

And finally, you have a variety of choices as to which hardware you could use to do this all with. Here are a few choices to take a look at and depending on your price range:

• AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme $139.99 (supports 1080p@60fps, USB 3.0 compatible)
  
• Elgato Game Capture HD60 S $149.95 (supports 1080p@60fps, USB 3.0 compatible)
  
• AVerMedia Game Capture HD2 $168.64 (only 1080p@30fps)
  
• AVerMedia AVerCapture HD $99 (if lower budget, only 1080p@30fps)
  
• Elgato Game Capture HD $125.89 (only 1080p@30fps)
  
  If I had to go with an external capture card, I'd either go with the AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S. So read up on these and see what the pros and cons of each are.
  
  Now as far as latency between you and her, that will all depend on your upstream bandwidth for your internet connection as well as what video resolution and fps you'd be streaming at. But in normal/good scenarios, this will be 10-20 seconds.

They are probably different colors so the installer knew which speaker went to which room. A piece of tape on the cables in the garage does about the same thing but I digress. Looks like 4 rooms worth of speakers? 4 separate bundles of cables? Looks like 8 total speakers, or at least 4 stereo speakers (meaning the left and right both go to 1 speaker).

Make sure you don't hook up all 8 to 1 source without something in the middle. I don't know the math, but each set of speakers changes the resistance causing problems with the amp. Use one of these to hook all the speakers up, then hook up a receiver.

https://www.amazon.com/Niles-VCS-HUB8-Control-Distribution/dp/B00092LNWI

If you want to control each room separately, you'd need to wire in volume controls for each set somewhere, but that's going to be more work.

https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Mount-Control-Knob-Wall/dp/B000V52CP0?ref_=ws_cp_c41569dcdeb0866f82ca_p_3_i_p

I re-read your original post, and I think I understand better what you're looking for.

You need a docking station on your laptop that will give you multiple outputs. We use these at work and they work pretty well: https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Universal-Docking-Station-Ethernet/dp/B00ECDM78E/

From there, you could use the KVM switch to move the monitor, keyboard and mouse between devices, or your multiple inputs on the monitors to switch back and forth.

I've had bad experiences with extenders myself, you're better off putting that money towards a better router in my opinion.

Consider this router possibly: https://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY

I bought that router when it was new tech for around $200, and it was a great router. If it doesn't work you can return it fairly easy too.

Yes! Purchasing a powerline adapter will give you the flexibility to place your computer just about anywhere because it transmits signal via your wall outlets. you need to make sure that the adapter is plugged directly into a wall because power strips will filter the signal. also side note that these adapters usually sacrifice speed for low latency. hope this helps!

I can't find, nor begin to imagine what your adaptor would look like (I do understand you though).

The best help I can give you is try a USB-3.5mm and then a mic+audio to 3.5mm. (eg. here and here)

It will be a klunky dongle mess but hey still better than the new MacBook's experience

why airpods?

there are plenty of true wireless options that are not airpods that work just as well.

i have been using these since June, and very pleased

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Earphones-Headphones-with1000mAh/dp/B07Q84WXK4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=39ZG3UTZW4H1R&keywords=liuhe+wireless+sports+earbuds+bluetooth&qid=1573468686&sprefix=liuhe%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+passport+ps4&qid=1564821018&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HKN92MZ?pf_rd_p=2d1ab404-3b11-4c97-b3db-48081e145e35&pf_rd_r=FRFDW7ECD22CT2XJJ5PG


I couldn't find anything on the gaming drive but the my passport's got 5400 RPMs. An external SSD is expensive and I just need to pick between the two WD models.

There's really no good way to link a DVD player to a tablet. Either go with a portable player with a built in display, or rip your DVDs to digital files.

The second option is better - both because portable DVD players are kinda janky and fragile (especially in the hands of a small child), and because physical media died several years ago.

As for the tablet, an amazon fire kids edition is the best choice. They're practically giving them away today because it's prime day, but even at full price they're still the cheapest durable tablet specifically designed for kids. My nieces are absolute monsters and they haven't managed to break the ones they've had for a couple years.

If you've ripped your movies to MP4, just buy a cheap microSD card and load up all the files onto the card. The tablet will be able to play them just fine.

Basically.

Let's assume you have a 1 year old computer laying around. It will have a SATA drive, which is a connection standard the drive uses to transfer data to and from the PC. Assuming the computer only has one hard drive, this will be the OS disk. As such, you can't disconnect it - you'll need it to run the OS while you grab your data at the end.

So look at the XP hard drive from the XP machine, and compare them to this picture. Not all modern computer have IDE connections any more, so if your hard drive has an IDE connector, you may need an adapter, like this one on Amazon. Connect the IDE and a female Molex connector and start the computer up. If ithe XP drive is SATA, just find an open SATA port on the motherboard and a free female SATA power connector and start up the computer. (Again, if you cannot find a free SATA port, that adapter I linked should have one.)

Either way, eventually you should reach your modern Windows install, and the OS should register the old HDD as a generic hard disk. From there, you may recover any data you like, or just leave the drive connected (I wouldn't recommend it without a wipe first, but that's personal preference).

You need to buy mic/headphone splitter (not sure about this particalar model but something like this).

If you can't run an Ethernet cable, a great option for many is an Ethernet Bridge. An Ethernet Bridge has two ends, one near your router, plugged in via ethernet cable, and the other near the TV. The two boxes send the signal thru the existing power lines of your house.

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWRUICG/ but there may be a cheaper / newer / whatever option out there.

Note this won't work for all houses, but personally, I've never had an issue. If you have multiple power circuits (like multiple breaker boxes in different locations) that could be a sign this won't work.

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407172001&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+nt-r66u I recently purchased this for my home, after using one in my office for over a year. The range on it is phenomenal and it is dual band as well (can use 5ghz if your 2.4ghz is getting interrupted too often, but the one in our office has a few wifi routers around and I've never noticed a problem).

hope this helps